Kettle boiling

KittyBee123

Does anyone know whether it's cheaper to boil a full kettle then put the water in a flask for later, or boil just enough for one cup?  The full kettle obviously takes longer and so will use more energy but then you have ready made hot water for a few cuppa's.  The one-cup method uses much less energy but you have to repeat as necessary.  Any ideas anyone?

brewerdave

KittyBee123 said:

Does anyone know whether it's cheaper to boil a full kettle then put the water in a flask for later, or boil just enough for one cup?  The full kettle obviously takes longer and so will use more energy but then you have ready made hot water for a few cuppa's.  The one-cup method uses much less energy but you have to repeat as necessary.  Any ideas anyone?

Was discussed at great length recently
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6354340/the-kettle-debate#latest

My own view is that flask water makes a rotten cup of tea !!

Farway

I doubt it's much in cash terms, but from a physics point however you do it you are raising a given volume of water to boiling point, and will use the same amount of energy to achieve it

No doubt it would make a good GCSE maths question but practically hardly worth the effort except maybe from convenience viewpoint of having flask of hot water to hand

If making tea then the flask method is out anyway unless you like lukewarm tea

Astria

Yes, its cheaper to boil a full kettle, but do you want to drink luke warm tea?

If you kettle can hold a single cup of tea (typically those with a flat bottom) and is approx 3KW, then it will cost 60p (approx) per hour, but typically the kettle is on for < 1 minute, so 1p.

The warmer the water in the kettle, the less it will be on for, so for maximum savings always refill the kettle after using it, not before using it.

pochase

If you use cold water for your tea it will taste even worse, but you can save even more energy cost.

Gerry1

Astria said:

If you kettle can hold a single cup of tea (typically those with a flat bottom) and is approx 3KW, then it will cost 60p (approx) per hour

Only if you are lucky enough to have an old cheap fixed rate tariff at 20p/kWh that hasn't yet expired.

Alnat1

If you're happy with s**t tasting, lukewarm tea all day to save 10p, then go with the flask

Assuming you already have a flask and won't have to buy one?

Life's too short for a bad cuppa 

Astria

Gerry1 said:

Astria said:

If you kettle can hold a single cup of tea (typically those with a flat bottom) and is approx 3KW, then it will cost 60p (approx) per hour

Only if you are lucky enough to have an old cheap fixed rate tariff at 20p/kWh that hasn't yet expired.

Yes, oops, I guessed that rate, I'm currently paying 15.73p/kWh but thought that wouldn't apply to most people, so increased it. Whats the current typical amount, 30p? If so that's still only 1.5p, so within my approximation

sammyjammy

Astria said:

Gerry1 said:

Astria said:

If you kettle can hold a single cup of tea (typically those with a flat bottom) and is approx 3KW, then it will cost 60p (approx) per hour

Only if you are lucky enough to have an old cheap fixed rate tariff at 20p/kWh that hasn't yet expired.

Yes, oops, I guessed that rate, I'm currently paying 15.73p/kWh but thought that wouldn't apply to most people, so increased it. Whats the current typical amount, 30p? If so that's still only 1.5p, so within my approximation

Currently 51p per KWH (without accounting for Standing charge) in South Devon.    More than triple what you are paying and thats per cuppa!

BUFF

sammyjammy said:

Astria said:

Gerry1 said:

Astria said:

If you kettle can hold a single cup of tea (typically those with a flat bottom) and is approx 3KW, then it will cost 60p (approx) per hour

Only if you are lucky enough to have an old cheap fixed rate tariff at 20p/kWh that hasn't yet expired.

Yes, oops, I guessed that rate, I'm currently paying 15.73p/kWh but thought that wouldn't apply to most people, so increased it. Whats the current typical amount, 30p? If so that's still only 1.5p, so within my approximation

Currently 51p per KWH (without accounting for Standing charge) in South Devon.    More than triple what you are paying and thats per cuppa!

Are you sure that 51p isn't your standing charge? If not, what supplier/tariff are you on? The current electricity SVT is ~30p/kWh. 

Alnat1

It's not 51p per cuppa!!!